Dermal fillers are being used more and more to help reverse the changes associated with aging. The goal of dermal fillers is to return the dermis, particularly on the face, to its original youthful state. As such, dermal fillers are being used to reduce or eliminate wrinkles, raise scar depressions, enhance lips, and replace soft-tissue volume loss. Dermal fillers are injected under the skin of a patient and correct placement is crucial to avoid undesirable results. For instance, dermal fillers that are injected too superficially may result in the patient seeing the filler product through the epidermis, whereas dermal fillers injected too deeply may result in the filler product not producing the desired cosmetic correction. In addition, some palpation and/or manipulation of the injected dermal filler may be necessary to achieve/assure optimal results.
As with most medical procedures, training is important to obtain an acceptable level of proficiency and to avoid unintended consequences. Training via seminars with and without live or video observation is currently a primary means for a practitioner to gain experience but is less than optimal. “Hands-on” training may be more desirable, yet is likely impractical for a great percentage of practitioners due to consent and liability issues pertaining thereto. Consequently, a medical simulation for simulating a dermal filler injection procedure where the practitioner can simulate the injection of the substance under a patient's skin while palpating a simulated wheal created by the injected substance would be a useful training aid.